“That likely will not be the case. There's more likely to be "vehicle hull points" than just "Hull points" for that very reason. Otherwise the Ackmin Empire with all 12 of its different factions will just have every member researching and putting the points towards the Super Fish Cruiser MK15.

- "Jefsa"”

I am ludicrously happy that you said that Jefsa. This seems like a nice happy median that inserts a bit of extra logistical work to research using the right faction type in order to progress in the desired tree and preserves a bit of the resale/theft value of datapads. I would, however, ask whether non-production factions(e.g. Info Factions, Governments, Religions, Mercs, Bounty Hunters, etc.) would be able to research particular types* of points, and if so, what types?

What would happen in the event of someone successfully stealing a DC? I was just reading the 'DC prototype' thread in Suggestions when this occurred to me. Say a new faction got hold of an advanced DC would their tech tree start from the stolen DC, start from scratch plus that DC or would they have everything from the base level up to the level of the stolen DC?

Thats part of the whole Variants R&D subtrees, ships eill habve more engines less hull, or +weapons for -shields, etc. ALthough Id like to put that on one of the later releases of R&D, as I find the ability to add new entities far more interesting.

@Elias - Good news for those of us out and about all the time for the Datapad-only researching. So what's the function of R&D Stations or Research Centres then? Can they get some sort of bonus to the "production" of R&D Points? Or maybe it'd just be a matter of research done outside a R&D Station/Research Centre is of a *random* type.

I suppose it adds a new Production-type job to faction sitters - now you must also Research!

“What would happen in the event of someone successfully stealing a DC?”

I believe it's the Datapads that are up for theft, not DCs (IE you can steal R&D Points, but not the unlocked leaves themselves). So you wouldn't ever get into the situation of stealing the plans for a SSD and then being able to research off of that. As far as I know, ALL research is to be from the ground up, regardless of whatever other DCs your faction already has.

there was.... years ago... some belief, I think, that come combat, you COULD eventually steal DC uses somehow. Not so much as a starting point for R&D, but that a sneaky bothan might be able to steal SSD plans and start an SSD of their own in an SY4 somewhere.

No idea if/how this is thought to be implemented, but I'm assuming it'd be post combat for sure.